Sin
'"Sin" '''is the fifteenth and finale episode of ''Insinuation, the eighth season, and the 156th episode overall. It was narrated by Mets, airing on May 9, 2015. In the finale episode, Sawyer Gulch descends into martial law when the Killer is revealed. The Episode SHERIFF'S HOUSE Landon and Bryce darted into the living room, following the scream. They had not been able to locate Austin. Natalie ran downstairs. "What the hell are you screaming about?" she cried. She eyed the two men. "And why do you scream like Dutch schoolgirls?" Bryce and Landon just blinked. And then the scream came again. There was a shatter and a thud in the Sheriff's office. "DAD?!" Natalie screamed and hurried for the door. They slid open. Sabrina stumbled out, soaked in blood, a knife dangling from her hand. Landon, Bryce, and Natalie gasped. Landon stared at Sabrina. She seemed fatter. "Sabrina, what are you doing?" Landon said slowly, trying not to look at her augmented breasts. Natalie backed away and retreated into the kitchen. "Landon..." Sabrina said, teeth chattering, "It's..." The front door was thrown open and Sheriffs Cecil and Silas strode in. "Hell," Cecil said, seeing Sabrina, "What happened to you?" "She killed them!" Natalie cried from the kitchen, "Look in the office!" Landon, Bryce, Cecil, and Silas circled around the couch to look in the office. The forensic artist and guard lay dead. The artist's painting was slashed. "Crap," Silas said angrily, closing the office doors. He turned to Sabrina. "Sabrina, I've known you for a very long time. Did you kill those men?" Sabrina's mouth fell open. "N-No! He did" "Who did?" Cecil questioned. Sabrina dropped the knife. She looked meaningfully into Silas' eyes. "Austin Devereaux." OPHELIA'S SHOP Katherine stepped inside the musty shop. "Hello?" she called, "Ophelia?" The lights were out. The computer screen glowed on the desk. "Ophelia?" Katherine called again, "Are you here?" A sticky note was plastered on the computer. Did Ophelia leave a note? On an errand? Katherine leaned down to read the slip. "It's Austin," it stated plainly. Austin? Katherine wondered. Austin what? Surely it didn't mean... There was a shaking at the knob and then the door opened. Katherine whirled around, facing the visitor. "Kat." Katherine sighed. "Austin." Austin's suit was plastered with blood. He didn't have his knife. "Well?" she said. "Both dead," Austin said, removing his suit jacket and throwing it in a trash can. Katherine found matches behind the counter. Austin threw in his shirt as well. "Witnesses?" Katherine asked. Austin shrugged. "Sabrina. Eliminated." Katherine nodded. "Let's get out of here then." Austin's phone buzzed. Katherine dumped the clothing ashes into a vase and stashed it in a cabinet. "Sheriff," Austin said. Katherine's eyes widened. Oh God... "We'll be right there," Austin said. He lowered his phone. Katherine approached. "Please don't tell me..." "Yeah..." Austin said, "He wants to see me." SHERIFF'S HOUSE "Natalie," Silas said, breathing heavily, "Call Oliver. Tell him to get here immediately. When he does get here, have him watch Dr. Langdon and Mr. Johnston. Sabrina, come with me." Natalie stopped Sabrina immediately. "It can't be him," Natalie said. Sabrina just shook her head. Natalie took Sabrina's shoulders. "Please say it's not him!" Sabrina took a few shaky steps before gathering her footing and followed the Sheriff into the kitchen, leaving Natalie in shock in the living room. Silas poured Sabrina a glass of water. He handed her a washcloth to let her clean up the blood. "What happened?" Silas said, "Spare no details." Sabrina choked on the water, coughing water on the table. "Sorry..." she muttered. She took a few gulps. "I uh..." she began, "Landon and I were looking into Katherine being the Killer." Silas lowered his eyebrows. "Why?" Sabrina bit her lip. "Ophelia found the pendant in Katherine's house. Then she fled town, but she gave Landon her computer password...and a letter from Christie to Bryce." Silas was incredulous. She withheld all this information? From the police? The people supposed to keep her safe? Silas listened to Sabrina. He listened to her describe the Torrance Killer and the connection to the deaths in Sawyer Gulch and how they've never been solved because no one suspected them of being connected. She described the system the Torrance Killer took in eliminating the witnesses. Silas painfully sat through the description of Jet and Isobel's parts in it. Jet as a witness. Isobel as a liability. "But it isn't Katherine," Silas said, "Is it?" Sabrina shook her head. "No. I found footage from the Church of St. John Paul II when Austin confronted the Father. The Father just said 'you shouldn't be here.'" "You shouldn't be here?" Silas repeated. "Yes," Sabrina said, "As if Austin just shouldn't be in the Church. Not anything about him being alive." "That's not really much evidence..." Silas said. Sabrina held up her hand, sputtering indignantly. "NO! Listen! The whole reason we suspected Katherine in the first place was because of her former residence in Torrance AND the fact the pendant was found in her apartment. But she SHARES the apartment with Austin AND they are BOTH former residents of Torrance. Then that footage. And Austin has always been an odd character in town. Dying on his first day? Then turning up weeks later unscathed?" "Yes," Silas interjected, "but you knew Austin was alive the whole time and you didn't tell anyone..." "Doesn't matter!" Sabrina cried, "I guessed Austin was the Killer instead and I ran to warn you." "Was the artist and guard already dead when you arrived?" Silas asked. Sabrina took a deep breath. "Just the artist. Austin was killing the guard when I walked in." Silas jumped up. "You SAW Austin murder the guard?!" Sabrina stared. "I thought that was obvious." Silas smacked his cheek. "Son of a bitch. You're a witness." Sabrina surprisingly smiled. "Exactly. I knew he would kill me. So I found this in Ophelia's shop." Sabrina undid the buttons on her shirt. Silas looked away. "Sabrina..." he said. "Oh, Sheriff!" Sabrina said, "look!" Silas opened his eyes. Sabrina was wearing a plate of armor. He stared at the blood on her skin. "It's not real is it?" Sabrina crossed her arms. "Nope." Silas fell into his chair. He looked at the young photographer. "Explain. Please." Sabrina nodded. "Before I left Ophelia's shop, I wrote down Austin's name in case I died. I donned a suit of armor and squirted ketchup all over me from the diner. I came here and found Austin in the office and panicked. He had slashed the artist's image and then promptly slashed the artist." "Thank you," Silas said, looking down. Sabrina continued, "He told me to run, but I closed the office doors instead, telling him I was dying. I don't know. I was just bullshitting. Kept screaming. Anyway, I held my breath and slumped to the floor. Austin kind of hovered over me. Didn't even check a pulse. Just fled. Broke out of your window. As soon as he was gone, I heard Landon and Bryce come inside. So I picked up the knife and stumbled out." Silas nodded. "You've been through an ordeal." Sabrina scoffed. "Shit yeah." "Good work," Silas said. He turned. "CECIL!" Cecil hustled into the kitchen. "Call Austin Devereaux. Tell him I want to see him. Sound as casual as possible." Cecil went back into the living room. Silas saw Oliver sitting with Landon, Bryce, and Natalie. "What about Katherine?" Sabrina asked. Silas tugged his forefinger. "I don't know," he said honestly, "We could arrest her too." "Either way," Sabrina said, standing, "If this doesn't explode horribly in our faces, please let me have this story." Silas laughed. "Story, Sabrina? What story?" Sabrina grinned. "How the humble Sheriff of Sawyer Gulch caught the notorious Torrance Killer." Silas's face changed. He was surprised. He was almost excited. The Torrance Killer! "OLIVER!" Silas shouted. The Deputy appeared. Silas smiled. "Call the FBI and the national guard. We found the Torrance Killer." Oliver was awestruck. He doubled back into the living room. Silas extended his hand to Sabrina. "Shall we?" FBI HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON D.C. Pamela Rodenburg lifted the receiver. "FBI emergency services. Please state your intent." She listened carefully and patiently, ignoring the urgency in the man's voice. She made a few notes. Then she dropped her pen. "Right," she said, "Uh huh. Yes, well, this is quite different. Give me a moment, Deputy." Pamela placed Deputy Oliver Winthrop on hold. She moved carefully through the halls to the authority office. "Cas," she said, "We've got a lead on the Torrance Case." Agent Caspian Redwood leaned back in his chair. "Details?" Pamela handed him her notes. "Sheriff of Sawyer Gulch has reason to suspect the Torrance Killer is in town? Does he know how many people have died from that man? Or woman?" Pamela nodded. "Sawyer Gulch has its own death toll," she said. Redwood grinned. "And does he know there's a ten million reward for information leading to capture?" Pamela shrugged. "I never mentioned it. Why? What does that mean?" Redwood put on his reading glasses. "It means if they're right, we should start writing a check. Don't notify the press. Patch me through. I want to speak to those in Sawyer Gulch right now." SHERIFF'S HOUSE Landon and Bryce sat across from Natalie. Cecil was on the phone with the national guard. Oliver was on the phone with the FBI. Silas was talking to Sabrina in the kitchen. Austin and Katherine were MIA and possibly killers. And nothing made any damn sense. Silas and Sabrina emerged from the kitchen. Sabrina was holding a plate of armor, which Landon realized explained her apparent weight gain. She had cleaned the blood from her body, thankfully. Silas draped blankets over the bodies in the study. Cecil hung up the landline. "National Guard en route. They'll be here in ten minutes. They're sending reinforcements from neighboring towns. Mine included." "Now," Silas said, "We wait for Austin." "Sir," Oliver said, "FBI wants to speak to you." "Not now," Silas said, "Austin should be here any moment now." "We should leave," Landon said, "or hide. He'll know something is up." "They're right," Sabrina said, "I should not be here either. Remember, I'm dead." "You're what?" Landon said loudly. Sabrina just winked. "Okay," Cecil said, "How about this? Oliver, take Bryce, Natalie, and Sabrina upstairs. I'll wait in the kitchen. Silas, you welcome Austin with Landon. Pretend like this is just another kill. Landon just identified the bodies." Silas nodded and everyone dispersed. Landon caught Sabrina at the bottom of the stairs and kissed her. He didn't wait for a reaction. He just turned and went back to the couch. Sabrina disappeared upstairs. Two minutes later, Austin knocked on the door. "Mr. Devereaux," Silas said, "Thank you for coming. I'm sure you've heard there's been another kill." "Has there?" a woman said, "Oh no!" Landon watched nervously as Austin and Katherine came in together. Both were clean. They certainly didn't look like they went through a bloody battle. "Come with me," Silas said, opening the study doors. Katherine and Austin stared down at the bodies. They looked genuinely surprised. Landon's heart hammered. Were they innocent? "Recognize them?" Silas asked. Katherine took Austin's arm. "No!" she whispered, "Why are you asking us? We didn't do anything." Silas frowned. "Austin and Katherine Devereaux, I'm arresting you for the murder of Lance Wilson and Tyler Vandel." Silas handcuffed the two. Cecil joined him. "What?!" Katherine cried, "Who's Lance and Tyler?!" "The guard and the artist," Cecil said, "Now let's go. Holding cells in the basement." "Landon!" Austin pleaded, "Please! You know me!" Landon looked away. He closed his eyes. He didn't know what to think. Cecil and Silas locked Austin and Katherine in separate cells in the basement. Natalie, Bryce, Oliver, and Sabrina came back downstairs. "I'll take that FBI call now," Silas said. Oliver followed him into the kitchen. Sabrina joined Landon on the couch. But he didn't want to talk. He kept saying he wasn't sure if Katherine and Austin were guilty. Why didn't he believe her? "Oliver," Sabrina said to her ex-husband. He was loitering by the kitchen door. "Oliver," Sabrina repeated, "Can you let me into the basement? I need to talk to them." "They won't talk," Oliver said, "He's a lawyer. Anything they say can and will be used against them." "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Save the jargon for an interview. I need to see them. If Austin looks into my eyes and tells me he didn't kill the guard, then I know he's lying. Maybe he'll confess. Hell, we have at least five minutes before the national guard gets here so let me have a word before they throw him in Alcatraz!" "Alcatraz closed in nineteen sixty..." "Shut up," Sabrina snapped. Oliver shut his mouth and led the way to the basement. THE BASEMENT Austin and Katherine were both facing the cell door when Sabrina approached. Oliver stood by the door upstairs. He closed it. Sabrina didn't look at Katherine; she didn't know what to say to her yet. She went up to Austin. "Hi," she said. She stood a safe distance back. Austin just glared at her. "Austin," Sabrina said, "Are you the Torrance Killer?" Austin looked at Oliver, then to Sabrina. He smiled wickedly. "Yes I am." Sabrina inhaled. Her breathing quickened. "What happened in Torrance?" she asked. Her knees began knocking each other. She placed her hands on her thighs to steady them. Austin just shrugged. "A client had an unwinnable case. I didn't want to lose my record." "Your record?!" Sabrina cried, "You murdered someone to protect your reputation?!" "Ah," Austin said, "But I was the best lawyer in Arizona. How could I let that slip?" "Then what?" Sabrina said, "You had a witness? So you killed him? Silenced him?" "Something like that," Austin said. He smiled at Sabrina. "You know Jet Sterling?" Sabrina took a step back. "What...what are you insinuating?" "Jet was my first witness," Austin said, "I found his address. Went to bribe him to keep quiet. He had a better idea. Told me someone else saw the murder. He said he would take care of him if I spared his life. I agreed." "Jet...gave you the idea for the witness elimination?" Sabrina gasped. Austin smiled. "Wonderful, isn't it? Out of the 37 people that died in Torrance, I only killed..." Austin held up one finger. "One." "Torrance never had a serial killer, did it?" Sabrina said. "Well," Austin said, "What's the official definition of a serial killer? Someone who repeats the same crime with a usually predictable pattern? Jet killed four or five people, all witnesses to crimes. That makes him a serial killer. Father Kelly killed thirteen people. That's a serial killer." "If you only killed one person," Sabrina said, "Then who killed Isobel? And Alice? Christie? Jet? Father Kelly?" Austin held up his hands. "Whoa! You misunderstood. I said I only killed one person in Torrance. Things got bad. 2005 ended and we had much more competent witnesses. Many of them came here. I had to monitor them from a distance. Until Father Kelly volunteered to help to stop the blackmail. He was the one who notified me that Jet Sterling intended to go to the FBI. Tricky thing, confessions." "So you killed Jet?" Sabrina said. Austin flapped his hands. "Guilty. His mom too. Also Father Kelly." "Alice and Christie?" Sabrina said weakly. Austin shrugged. "Another witness." "Who kidnapped you on Day One?" Sabrina demanded. She took a step forward. Austin rolled his eyes. "No one, dumbass. I came here to finish the job. Take out the rest of the witnesses. And do it right this time. No MORE witnesses. The murders end in Sawyer Gulch. I staged a kidnapping so I could kill peacefully. No distractions. No one suspecting me." "But..." Sabrina said. "But you found me sleeping in the tunnels," Austin said, "And took it upon yourself to 'rescue' me. Thanks." Sabrina was completely dumbfounded. She turned to Katherine. "Was your affair planned too? Is Natalie in on it?" "No, no," Austin said, "That was just for fun." "I'm still really pissed about that," Katherine said, speaking for the first time since Sabrina's questions began. "Are you aware of all this?" Sabrina asked. Katherine stared. "Duh," she said, "Kind of hard to miss." "How many people did you kill?" Sabrina snapped. Katherine took a deep breath. "None." Sabrina moved forward again. "You said the murders end in Sawyer Gulch. What does that mean?" Austin smirked. "When I get out of here, Katherine and I are flying to Russia. To a new life." "You're not getting out of here!" Sabrina said, "You just admitted everything!" Austin cocked his head. "Yeah," he said, "But you forget about my witnesses. And the favors I call in." Austin looked behind Sabrina. "Hit the lights, Oliver." Sabrina spun around in time for Oliver to plunge the room into darkness. Sabrina moved forward, calling out, but someone knocked her over. She heard the cell doors unlocking. "OLLIE!" Sabrina screamed, "DON'T! NO! HELP! SILAS!" Someone stepped on her hand. Then someone leaned down to her ear. "Thanks for the friendship," the voice said, chilling. A door opened and closed. And then light. Oliver sat against the cells, head down. "You," Sabrina said, crawling over to him, "are an insecure, ignorant, chauvinistic, hotheaded, cocky, arrogant IDIOT!" She slapped him. Oliver drew in his knees and sobbed. "YOU'RE DISGUSTING!" Sabrina ranted, "YOU AREN'T WORTH SPITTING ON!" Oliver's lip trembled. "He was going to kill you," Oliver muttered. Sabrina stared. "Why do you care about what happens to me?" Oliver avoided her gaze. "Because I love you. Forever." The door unlocked and the Sheriffs entered, looking flustered. "What the hell happened?" Cecil cried, "Why did you switch off the lights?" Then their eyes fell on the empty cells. "OH SHIT!" Cecil screamed, "AH ####." Silas just closed his eyes. "Follow us." SHERIFF'S HOUSE After the lights went out, there was a loud scuffling sound, the front door slamming, and then silence. When the lights came back on, the Sheriffs went downstairs. Apparently, Katherine and Austin had escaped. But how? Who opened their cells? Sabrina and Oliver sat on the couch opposite the one on which Natalie, Bryce, and Landon sat. Sabrina looked pissed. Oliver looked sad. "Cecil," Silas said, "The national guard are arriving. Tell them to initiate a county-wide lockdown. I'm launching a manhunt." Cecil nodded and left the house. "Well," Silas said, "What happened down there?" Sabrina started jabbering about how Austin admitted to being the Killer and that he personally murdered Jet and Isobel Sterling. Silas and Natalie got emotional when Jet and Isobel were mentioned. Silas seemed more determined. "How did they escape?" Silas asked. Oliver stood. "I let them escape," he said. Silas stared. The room went silent. "You what?" Landon said. "I was a witness," Oliver said, "to the murder of Isobel Sterling. I saw Austin leaving her room that night. He threatened to kill Sabrina unless I did what was asked of me in the future. He told me today I was to let him out of his cell or he would have assassins come to kill Sabrina. I couldn't let them do that." Everyone just stared. Oliver sighed. "I hereby resign my post as Deputy of this town." "Don't be absurd," Silas said, taking Oliver's arm, "You're a wonderful Deputy. Any of us could have done the same." "I can't be trusted," Oliver said, "What if I'm threatened again?" "You won't be," Sabrina said, "We'll find them." "We have to find them," Bryce said, "I'll help." "Me too," Landon said. Natalie nodded. Silas smiled at the support. "Alright, neighbors. Gather every willing soul in town to help. The manhunt begins." Outside, there was an explosion. SAWYER GULCH SQUARE Silas held up a hand to the others when they entered the Square. The Commander of the National Guard was sending soldiers down Sawyer Gulch's streets. Cecil was talking to him. "General?" Silas said, approaching, "Thank you for coming quickly." The General nodded. Silas looked at his name tag. May. General May. "Give me your radio," General May said. His voice was deep and frightening. Silas unhooked his radio from his belt. "Why?" "Because," the General said, pointing to smoke rising on the horizon, "Your Killers have struck. Three casualties. A house explosion. A shelter-in-place lockdown is not safe. Which frequency is for the town radios?" "Excuse me?" Silas said, incredulous, "What do you mean town radio?" "Which frequency," General May snarled, "Will get me through to the entire town?" Silas swallowed. "Four." General May lifted the radio to his mouth. "Attention. Attention. All citizens of Sawyer Gulch. This is General Commander Maximilian May of the 55th Squadron. We are initiating a full-scale evacuation of your township. A shelter-in-place is NOT recommended. I repeat. Not recommended. Soldiers outside your home will escort you to your evacuation facility. This is not a drill." The General tossed the radio back to Silas. Silas was stuttering in frustration. "You can't just evacuate my town!" Silas sputtered, "Where will they go?" Oliver stepped forward. "How about Boot Hill? Abandoned Old Town. It's safe there as long as they stay within the fence and away from the buildings." "Perfect," General May said and gave the orders to his soldiers. "How many people live here?" General May asked Silas. "1,100," Silas said. General May scratched his bald head. Cecil tapped Silas. "I'm going home. I have to aid my hometown with our own lockdown. Austin and Katherine could progress north." "Good idea," Silas said, "Thank you for all your help. You're a lifesaver." "Always here for you, Silas!" Cecil said with a broad smile, "Best of luck to you!" Cecil departed. People started leaving the apartment complex. Trucks were waiting to take the citizens to Old Town, commonly referred to by local residents as Boot Hill. It was fenced in by barbed wire. The collapsed buildings and wild snake population made the place a hazard. However, it was the ideal hiding spot from Austin and Katherine. Boot Hill was near impossible to break into. Silas watched as the residents of Sawyer Gulch leapt into the trucks. Then, near the rising smoke column, another explosion. People screamed and hit the ground. Behind Silas, Natalie shrieked. "Natalie, go with the others now! Get to Boot Hill!" "No, Dad," Natalie said, "I want to stay with you!" Silas turned to Sabrina. "Take her now. Please?" Sabrina nodded. She took Natalie's arm. Natalie started to protest. General May faced Silas. "Well, Sheriff, time to catch a Killer. The second wave of troops is almost here. We'll finish the evacuation and then begin the manhunt. We can take it from here." "I want to help!" Silas said, "It's my town!" "This is beyond your skills," May reprimanded, "I will not have you screw this up." Silas bit his tongue. "The FBI is sending agents from DC tomorrow," May said, "Goodbye, Sheriff." May ran back to his own car and drove toward the Watermill. Landon's phone rang. Silas sighed. "Bryce, Landon, Sabrina, Natalie. Go to Boot Hill. Oliver, stay with me. I'm not abandoning this town. Not ever." Oliver nodded. Landon answered his phone. FBI HEADQUARTERS Cas Redwood shut his laptop and grabbed his coat. He shut out his light. Time to go home. It was far past closing time for the office. Only those working on the Torrance Case were still there. 8:00pm. 5:00pm in Sawyer Gulch. It must be terrifying for the residents. "Goodnight, Pamela!" Redwood called. Pamela gave him a disgruntled wave. She hated working late. "Pamela," Redwood said, turning back, "When is that flight to Arizona tomorrow?" Pamela glared at him. She gave him a sassy smile. "7:04am from Dulles. Two first-class tickets. One for you. One for your partner." "Is Theo still in his office?" Redwood asked. Pamela blinked. "Aren't you supposed to be the one who investigates?" "Just friendly conversation," Redwood said. He slung his coat over his shoulder and headed down the hallway. Theo was slouched over his desk, making notes on ten-year-old paper. Torrance files long left untouched. He had a phone pressed to his ear. "I just wanted to let you know I'm coming," Theo was saying, "I know it's been a while. Please...I...okay, you do that. I'll see you tomorrow." Theo dropped his phone on his desk and ran a hand through his hair. "Who was that?" Redwood said, dropping into a chair. Theo just sighed. "Is our flight from Reagan or Dulles?" "Dulles," Redwood said, "We should go home and pack." Theo nodded and scooped his papers into his briefcase. "So," Redwood said teasingly, pulling on Theo's tie, "Who were you on the phone with? I hope you're not cheating on me." Theo didn't say anything. He handed Redwood his phone. Redwood looked at the most recent call. He dropped his jaw. "Landon?!" Theo put on his coat. He grabbed his briefcase. "THE Landon?" Redwood said, completely shocked. Theo nodded. "Yes," Theo said, "My older brother." "Landon? The one who refused to talk to you after you came out?" Theo bit his lip. "Yes. That Landon." Cas Redwood just shook his head incredulously. "How long has it been since you last spoke?" Theo didn't miss a beat. "6 years ago, when I was 25. After I came out." Cas whistled. "So why did you call?" "Because Landon lives in Sawyer Gulch. I just wanted to know he was safe." "Can't wait to meet him. I hope you'll introduce me as your life partner and not as your work partner." Theo groaned. "I've told you. It's not like that." "Remind me," Cas said with a bit of ire, "If he didn't abandon you because of your orientation, why did he write you out of his life?" "Not now," Theo said, "Let's go home and pack. I'll have the neighbors watch the dogs." "I want to hear about this on the plane," Cas said, hitting the lights, "Before we touch down in Sawyer Gulch." INSIDE AN ARMY TRUCK The truck jolted on the unstable road as it hurtled toward Boot Hill. The truck comfortably held 50 people. Only the national guard didn't care about comfort. So over 100 people were crammed inside. Sabrina and Natalie were sandwiched between people they had never even met. Landon and Bryce had been forced into another truck. "Sabrina," Natalie whispered. Sabrina shouted over the roar of the engine. "WHAT?" Natalie looked frightened. "I need to talk to you," Natalie said, "We have to get off this truck." Sabrina nodded as if she understood, but she had no idea what Natalie was talking about. "WHY?" "WE HAVE TO FIND AUSTIN!" Natalie shouted. Sabrina shook her head. "NO, SILAS IS GOING TO. WE ARE TO STAY PUT!" "I NEED TO TALK TO HIM," Natalie continued, "I HAVE TO TELL HIM SOMETHING." Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Now is NOT a good time to tell him you love him." Natalie looked away. Then the truck slammed to a halt. Sabrina heard soldiers jumping out of the front seats and accosting someone outside. She heard a woman's voice. Familiar... "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" Two people were thrown into the back of the truck. "Move that car!" a soldier ordered. The truck's engines started again. Sabrina peered over heads to look at the newcomers. Pink hair popped into view. "Ophelia!" Sabrina cried. Ophelia and her friend stood. Ophelia pushed her way toward Sabrina. "What are you doing here?" Sabrina demanded, "Where have you been?!" The man next to Ophelia rubbed his face. He had a striking resemblance to Ophelia. He was of a large stature. His head was shaved. He stood rigidly. Sabrina guessed he had army background. "Who's this?" Sabrina questioned. "My brother, Ibbi," Ophelia said, "I left Sawyer Gulch to find him." "Why?" Natalie said, "Wanted to have a family picnic? Bad timing. We're evacuating." Ophelia scowled. "Why are we evacuating anyway?" she asked, "Is there a bomb beneath town square?" "I don't know," Natalie said, "It's a safety precaution." "Assholes stopped my car," Ophelia said, "Really giving Ibbi that great first impression." "Why did you get Ibbi now?" Sabrina asked, "In the middle of this crisis?" Ophelia tied up her pink hair. "So many damn questions. If you must know, he's a witness to a Torrance murder. I wanted to keep him close." "Shit," Natalie said, "Who'd you see get bumped off?" Ibbi crossed his arms. "My best friend." Natalie sank. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Where are the Devereauxs?" Ophelia asked Sabrina. Sabrina shrugged. "We don't know. Austin admitted to the crimes. The manhunt is beginning back in town." Ophelia let out a frustrated groan. "I spent a lot of my time lately trying to figure everything out," she said, "About this whole thing. Do you know how many deaths are tied to Torrance? Directly or indirectly? 121. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE!" "Austin was an ass," Sabrina said, "I can't believe he did it." Ophelia started laughing. "Yeah...well...about that..." SAWYER ISLAND "Anyone out there?" Katherine asked. Austin peered outside the cave. "No one." Katherine lay against the rock. "I hope we didn't forget anything." "We didn't," Austin said, "We did everything we were told. They'll come after us, but he'll get us out." "And those two explosions? Were those him as well?" Austin closed his eyes and nodded. "Probably." "And what if he betrays us?" Katherine asked. Austin sighed. "We've been far under the sea for a while now. Why would today be any different?" "Because today we are murderers," Katherine said, "And I've never murdered anyone." "I'm not proud of it," Austin said, "And I'm the one who had to say all those horrible things." A twig snapped outside. Austin peered around the rock wall. A sheep galloped into the cave. Katherine shrieked, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Dammit!" she said, "Damn sheep." Austin took his wife's hands. "What time is it?" he asked. Katherine made a sundial with her hand in the waning sunlight. "Nearly six o'clock." Austin looked across the river. People were leaving their homes, accompanied by national guard forces. "An evacuation," he said, "They'll probably go to Boot Hill." "Where?" Katherine said. "It's the Old Town. Very dangerous, so it's fenced off. That's where he wanted us to stash the bodies originally, but Atticus and I couldn't get in." "Poor Atticus," Katherine said, "He wasn't supposed to die." "Then he blabbed about Torrance," Austin said, "He was overheard." Katherine and Austin stared outside. "I'm going to get a better look," Katherine said, "I won't be a moment." Austin watched as Katherine slid out of the cave. She turned out of sight. Austin stretched his legs and yawned. Only a half hour or so until the rendezvous. Austin stepped outside to see where Katherine went. But a gun was pushed to his back. He looked into the eyes of his boss. His master. The real Torrance Killer. "Hello," he said, his voice deep. Austin swallowed hard. Katherine was hiding behind a bush on the hill. "You did good today," the Killer said, "I'm glad everything went to plan. The problem, however, is that I don't know how well you'll do in interrogations. Yes, you admitted to crimes you never committed. Hell of an actor, too. I was impressed." "Are our children safe?" Austin asked. The Killer grinned. "They will be." The Killer looked around. "Where's Kat?" "I don't know," Austin said, sensing a change in dynamic. Something was wrong. The Killer was supposed to help them escape. Not threaten them further. "What's happened?" Austin asked, "What went wrong?" "There's still witnesses," the Killer said, "And there's still evidence. I intend to remove it." "Remove the evidence?" Austin asked. He gasped. "You can't mean...?" The Killer donned his sinister smile. Austin looked at the people across the river. "But they're evacuating! You can't!" "Calm down," the Killer said, "I'm not that bloodthirsty. I'll wait until they're all in Boot Hill. You, however, have no time left." The Killer turned the safety off the gun. He pushed it to Austin's chest. Austin didn't need to guess what was going to happen. But there was something he had to do. "KATHERINE RUN!" The bullet penetrated his heart. Katherine sprinted from her hiding place. Four shots rang out, but she was unscathed. She nearly collided with the Killer. She ripped something off his shirt. She had an idea. And if it was the last thing she ever did, she wanted to make damn sure she didn't die a villain. She hurtled into the cave, swallowed into the darkness. BOOT HILL Natalie, Sabrina, Landon, Bryce, Ophelia, and Ibbi reunited in the Old Town. The national guard appointed volunteers to distribute food and take a census. "So," Sabrina said, scratching her palm, "Austin was forced to admit to his crimes?" "Most likely," Ophelia said. "You said he said he was responsible for the first murder. Forensic evidence I found places him out of town that day. He chose that murder deliberately so that if an investigation ensued, we could see he was innocent." "But what about the pendant?" Sabrina asked, "There's a picture of him wearing the pendant in town. He killed Jet! He had to!" "He may have," Ophelia said, "But I don't think he's the Killer. I think he's just another witness." "That's so confusing," Landon said, "Why wouldn't Austin just tell us he's a witness? Why admit to crimes you never committed?" "Turns out," Ibbi said, "That Austin and Katherine have four children." The group went silent. "What?" Bryce said, "He doesn't even have pictures of them in his office." "Oh my God," Sabrina said, "He's protecting them! The Killer threatened the children..." "Parents will do anything for their children," Natalie muttered. She jumped up. She hurried away. Sabrina followed. "Natalie," Sabrina said when they reached the fence, "What's wrong?" Natalie was crying. "I need to find Austin," she murmured, "Right now." "Why?" Sabrina said, "What's so important you have to tell him?" Natalie turned to Sabrina. "I'm pregnant," she gasped. Sabrina's eyes widened. Her mouth fell open. Natalie collapsed to the sand and sobbed. "It's his!" SAWYER ISLAND Silas' radio buzzed. He and Oliver stopped on the bridge. "General May speaking," the radio emitted, "Evacuation complete. Sawyer Gulch secure. Manhunt commence. Dead or alive." Silas replaced the radio on his belt. "Let's hurry," he said to Oliver. Oliver nodded. Silas turned to the Island, then immediately froze. A corpse lay near the brook. "Man down!" Silas exclaimed, leaping onto the cliff. Oliver followed, gun raised. Silas examined the body. He exhaled. "It's Austin." "Dead..." Oliver muttered, "I'm free..." "Don't get excited yet," Silas said, "Katherine's not here." "What?" Oliver said, "You think she shot him?" "I don't know," Silas said, "Seems odd they would abandon each other. Unless Katherine knew she could fare better without him." "She must have run into that cave," Oliver said, "See the footprints?" Silas nodded. He fixated his hat on his head. "This connects to the mine tunnels," Oliver said, "Be mindful of falling rocks." "Be mindful of falling murderers," Silas joked. THE TUNNELS They switched on their flashlights. They progressed deeper into the tunnels until they came upon an enormous cavern. In its glory days, miners used to drag minerals and gems from the cracked rock to the surface for sales. "Smell that?" Oliver said. Silas sniffed. "Smells like elephant dung." Oliver and Silas stopped instantly. The scene before them was morose. A white sheep had been slaughtered. It had been viciously cut open, as if done in a hurry. "Oh God," Oliver said, shining his flashlight on the wall. Silas gaped. The word 'INNOCENCE' had been scrawled in enormous, bloody letters. Oliver touched the wall. He smelled his fingers. "Oh my Lord," he said, "It's not sheep blood. It's human." "What's up with the sheep?" Silas asked, kicking it with his shoe. "A sheep is a symbol of innocence," Oliver said, "But for it to be slaughtered..." "Guilt," Silas said, bending down. He pulled the sheep over. He gasped. Something had been attached to the carcass. It glimmered under the glow of the flashlights. "I think Katherine was trying to leave a message," Silas said "What?" Oliver said, "What message?" Silas pointed at the shining object. Something snapped behind them. Silas stood upright. He turned around. A small light was moving in the mine on one of the upper levels. Silas squinted. "What is that?" Oliver stared. The light was flickering, like fire, but moving. "A candle?" Oliver said. Silas shook his head. "It's too jumpy. It's more like..." Silas inhaled. "Like what?" Oliver said. "A fuse..." Silas said. Oliver and Silas looked over together at the stockpile of TNT. Someone was going to blow up the mine. "The town!" Oliver said, "The town's structural integrity depends on this mine!" "GET OUT!" Silas screamed. Oliver ran back toward the cave opening. Silas paused, removed the object from the sheep carcass. He took a few pictures of the scene with his phone and rubbed some of the blood on his shirt for a DNA test. Then, he ran. SAWYER ISLAND "INTO THE WATER!" Silas shouted. Oliver and Silas dove into the water and swam into the middle of the river. Then the explosion. BOOT HILL The townspeople of Sawyer Gulch could only watch in horror as their home went up in smoke. There were no injuries in Boot Hill, but dozens of soldiers were presumed dead in the explosion. Landon wondered if anything survived the blast. Hours later, Sheriff Silas and Deputy Oliver returned. Their faces were charred. Silas immediately pushed back everyone, denying questions. Oliver said Austin died and that Katherine was presumed dead. Silas asked to see Natalie, had a tearful reunion, but then asked to see Dr. Langdon. "I understand," Silas said, pulling Landon into an abandoned building, "that your brother is coming here for the FBI." "Oh," Landon said, "Yes. I haven't spoken to him in years." "I don't care about family drama," Silas said, "I need you to call him right now." "Is there still cell phone reception?" Landon asked. Silas's face was stolid. "Okay," Landon said, "What do you want me to tell him?" Silas removed a glimmering gold object from his pocket. Upon closer inspection, Landon saw it was a Sheriff's star. "I have reason to believe this is connected." Landon took the star and flipped it over. A name was engraved on the back. "You think this belongs to the Killer?" Landon asked. Silas crossed his arms and nodded. "Ask your brother," Silas said, pointing to the name on the star, "to learn everything he can about Sheriff Cecil Wannaker of Torrance, Arizona." Production Continuity and Story Arcs Though Austin was demonstrated to be the Killer for the entire episode, at the end, it was revealed that Austin was just another witness and that Cecil is instead the Killer. Austin revealed he faked his own kidnapping so that he could kill without interruption. Oliver and Ibbi are both witnesses. This marked the first appearance of Theo Langdon and Cas Redwood, as well as Ibbi. Ophelia returned in this episode. Natalie is pregnant with Austin's child. Sawyer Gulch exploded in a horrific terrorist attack presumably orchestrated by Cecil. References The line "You aren't worth spitting on" is from The Twelve Chairs. The elephant dung reference is a reference to contestant Gillain from Survivor: Gabon. Trivia *This is the only episode of the season to be written without any prior planning. Though an outline had been drafted, producers ultimately decided to write the whole thing from scratch without any future guidelines. Producers were very satisfied with the result over the original draft, though they dislike the ending. *This is the first episode to feature Agents Cas Redwood and Theo Langdon. **Initially, Cas Redwood had never been scripted. Producers wanted to include him in Season 9, but had no idea of what kind of person he would be. Producers saw the opportunity to include him early and chose to do so to ease the transition between seasons. **Because of his inclusion, Insinuation is the sixth consecutive sesaon and seventh overall to feature an LGBTQ character, leaving Adventureland as the only season without one. *This is the longest episode of Insinuation. Category:Episodes Category:Insinuation Episodes Category:Finales